There was a time when customers and clients were prohibited from bringing pets through the doors of one of the buildings in Bridgeport. Well, that’s all changed.

“I think it’s a really novel idea to have a building go from being a bank to an animal hospital,” said the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine graduate, who launched Bridgeport Veterinary Hospital and Bridgeport Pet Resort & Spa in an iconic 90-year-old bank building at the corner of Fourth Street and DeKalb Pike in Bridgeport in July, writes Gary Puleo in The Times Herald.

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Since it was originally built as a bank, the interior features many things found in banks – including a safe. The good doctor kept the vault, and is putting it to good use.

“Our main vault, which serves as the surgery room, is the centerpiece, and another vault we use as the cat ward,” McLahan said. “It’s perfect for cats because it’s quiet, and you’re away from the barking and the noise and it really blocks out all the external noise.”

Offering health exams, vaccinations, diagnostics, lab work, behavioral counseling and doggie daycare, the practice is filling a void in a town that was missing a veterinarian, he recalled.

“For a startup business we’re pretty busy every day. And the staff we’ve been able to put together is amazing, with my practice manager Jamie Poole, and Wendy Troost, who handles all the social media, who all helped make this a reality. We’re excited by the welcome we’ve gotten from the community and the mayor.”

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